Introducing tech to kids with smartwatches
“It’s taught him responsibility. He has to take it with him, and it’s building a trust in our parent-child relationship; and he has the tools to do it,” Bonikowske says.
Kids and technology can be tricky: Too many bells and whistles can be distracting, and if it’s too complicated, discouraging. That’s why choosing a simpler device to introduce your kid to technology may make the most sense.
The GizmoWatch for kids has simple calling features and messaging options that give this age-group the ability to to stay in contact, whether there’s an emergency or just a quick need to feel connected on that first sleepover.
The new message readout feature is good for individuals with a wide range of disabilities as well, says Clay Hadden, a speech pathologist in Charleston, South Carolina, who specializes in using high tech to help kids learn how to talk. And because it looks like a device that every other kid is wearing, a kid with dyslexia for example, doesn’t stand out while adapting to new skills.
“For some kids with learning disabilities, the readout function is going to be more socially accepted when it’s in the form of a cool watch,” Hadden says.
Because it’s a smartwatch for kids, the conversation can start early about the age-appropriate use of tech, says Bea Moise, a cognitive specialist and parent of two neurodivergent children who coaches digital parents. She suggests teaching kids early to ask a caregiver for permission about when to use the device.
That means learning to put the device on the charger when not in use, setting boundaries around not making calls at inappropriate times, such as during school, and helping kids understand that it’s a primer device: How they use it now will help determine if they’re ready for the responsibility to use a smartphone later. For example, can they follow the rules you establish together as a family for the device, can they give it back when asked, and can they take care of the tech when it’s not being used.
“It’s good on play dates when another parent is present,” Moise says. “You’re intentionally teaching children that this isn’t something they have with them all the time.”
Parental controls
“We can control things from the app; I can control if it’s going to ring or be on silent mode. We also set it to Auto Answer, so if I call him, it will buzz a few times and it just answers and we can listen in,” says Pastore.
Parents and caregivers can adjust the device from the GizmoHub app on their phone. Enter up to 10 phone contacts—family members, friends, and grandparents—and thoughtfully restrict who can call your kid. The parent app also controls the brightness on the digital display to maintain battery life, and device volume. From the dashboard, parents can activate school mode or quiet mode, which limits device use during the day.
“We had a rule: It was not allowed to go to school,” says Bonikowske. “We had an incident where it did go to school. I got the notification on the phone, and I called him, heard the classroom in the background, and I muted it. I emailed the teacher, and said ‘I’ll come pick it up.’”
Smartwatches with GPS trackers offer parents peace of mind
“Find my Device we use all the time. It’s an essential feature,” Pastore says.
For parents with no time to figure out how these things work, Common Sense media says the GizmoWatch 2 was its pick for the best GPS tracker and the easiest to use. From the start, you can open the parent app to track your child’s location, activate SOS calling, QuickDial and Auto Answer features. Plus, with geofencing, you can draw a border around an area your child is permitted to go—such as a neighborhood—and get a notification when they’ve gone outside that boundary.
Pastore uses the “Find my Kid” and “Find my Device” options, too.
“He comes home and takes it off in his room,” Pastore says. If his son forgets where he put it, Pastore opens the app, taps Find My Device, and the watch beeps.
Source: https://www.verizon.com/about/parenting/gizmo-watch-for-kids
